Surjit Bhalla resigns from PM’s Economic Advisory Council

New Delhi, Dec 11 (IANS) Economist Surjit Bhalla, a vociferous supporter of Narendra Modi on demonetisation and other economic issues, has resigned as a part-time member of Prime Minister’s Economic Advisory Council (EAC-PM), the second high-profile resignation to be witnessed in the Modi dispensation in the last two days.

The disclosure about Bhalla’s resignation came when the PMO said the Prime Minister has accepted his resignation, which was given on December 1. “In his request, he had stated that he would be joining some other organisation,” a senior officer in the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO) said.

The resignation comes a day after Reserve Bank of India (RBI) Governor Urjit Patel resigned on Monday, the first to do so in 40 years.

Bhalla said in a Twitter post that he had resigned from his post on December 1 to work as a consultant with a news channel and to work on a book about Indian elections since 1952. He had also predicted BJP’s win in Assembly elections in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chattisgarh.

Several senior economists, including Urjit Patel, have parted ways with the current government citing personal reasons. In June, Arvind Subramanian had resigned from the post of Chief Economic Advisor citing personal reasons. Arvind Panagariya resigned as NITI Aayog Vice Chairman last year in August to return to teaching.

Headed by NITI Aayog Member Bibek Debroy, other part-time members of the EAC-PM include economists Rathin Roy, Ashima Goyal and Shamika Ravi.